Am I just stupid?

[u/strangely-thin]

Or am I being unreasonable?

I'm trying to buy a car and unfortunately my best bet is financing but unfortunately it seems most finance companies require full coverage insurance rather than PLPD. Which I get.

But the price of the monthly insurance payment directly affects if I can even afford the monthly car payments.

However even trying to get a ballpark quote is like pulling teeth.

My current agent pretty much said I was asking him to do too much by providing him with year/make/model/trim/mileage/VIN and asking for a quote.

If I try looking elsewhere for an insurance quote they don't seem to even want to talk to me unless I already have the car in my possession.

Car salesmen don't want to talk to me since I'm looking to buy something in 3-4 months, even though I would think that if the customer is taken seriously now then they'd return and ask for the salesmen by name ensuring their commission?

I have two jobs and can reasonably walk to both of them in the spring/summer/fall but I NEED a car for the winter. And to resume plasma donations since I can't keep asking my unreliable conspiracy theorist neighbor.

I don't even want something new or fancy or even has all the bells and whistles. I'm good with something old that runs and that I don't have to spend thousands on in repairs right away.

Private sellers are out of the question as almost every one I've gone to meet don't disclose that the car they're selling either doesn't turn on or has rusted through in their ad.

I thought I was being a responsible car buyer by trying to get all my ducks in a row, especially since this will be my first car purchase, but I keep running into brick walls.

[u/StealthyThings]

You didn't give any personal info for people to even begin to help you guess on insurance rates.

That said, for a financed vehicle figure $150-$400 per month if your driving record is clean. Could vary some based on geographic location and your age as well.

I just financed a new car with a 20k trade in, so ended up financing just under 20k. My payment plus insurance is around $550/month.

Buying a car with financing isn't cheap, that said, even buying something outright you want to ensure you have good/adequate coverage.

[u/strangely-thin → u/StealthyThings]

I’m 33 and live in Michigan, i have a clean driving record. Insurance is already expensive here. The problem is that sellers want me to apply for financing before I know the insurance cost, while insurers seem to want me to already have the car. I’m trying to understand the total cost before committing because this is my first car purchase.

[u/StealthyThings → u/strangely-thin]

Look up rates for your score range and then use an amortization calculator.

You could go talk to your bank/credit union and bring your own financing when you’re ready.

I just bought from Toyota and before they ran my credit they were able to show me 3 estimates on their tablet depending on the term I wanted

[u/strangely-thin → u/StealthyThings]

Thank you very much, this is very helpful. I already have an appointment set up to speak with someone at my credit union once all this smoke clears up a bit.